“Nothing,” Asmodeus said quickly, catching my elbow in his hand. “I need to take you to the other dancers now. They’ll go through everything you need to know for the night. This lot will talk your ears off if we stay much longer.” He shot them all a dark gaze. “Behave yourselves.”
“Bye, Mia!” Caim called out as Asmodeus dragged me out of the room. I frowned up at him when our feet hit the hallway and yanked my elbow out of his grip. He motioned for me to follow him down the left side of the hallway, and we fell into step beside each other.
“You don’t have to manhandle me.”
“It’s almost nine. The club will get busy soon, and we need you ready for your shift.” He didn’t even glance down at me, and he threw out his words as if they were barbed. Had I annoyed him somehow?Again?
“What have I done now?”
He cut his gaze my way. “You were eyeing up Caim like he was a steak dinner.”
I snorted, nearly stumbling over my own feet at the shock of his words. “Wait a minute. You’re mad because I noticed your bouncers aren’t exactly ugly?”
“Stay away from them, Mia.”
“Excuse me? You were the one who introduced me to them.”
“Clearly, that was a mistake.”
I was starting to think the mistake was me agreeing to this bizarre deal in the first place. With a roll of my eyes, I considered the night ahead. At least I wouldn’t have to work with him. I’d be up in a cage, dancing the night away. He’d be…doing whatever club owners did. Likely greeting his most prized guests and rubbing elbows with the latest winners of the Grammys.
At the end of the hallway, Asmodeus pushed open a door and ushered me into the dancers’ dressing room and a flurry of vibrant energy. Girls sat along a slim table that hugged the wall, half-costumed and applying makeup before a bank of brightly-lit mirrors. Each and every one of them was breathtakingly beautiful, as if they’d walked straight out of the pages of a magazine.
My heart constricted as I scanned the room. Diamonds dotted earlobes. Their gowns were tiny yet classy, their hair shiny, their faces clear and bright. Asmodeus had not been wrong. I didn’t fit in with these girls. They were fucking gorgeous.
“Everyone,” Asmodeus spoke up from beside me with a booming voice. All the chattering girls fell silent and turned to gaze my way. “Meet Mia. She’s our newest dancer.”
A girl halfway down the table flicked her glossy brown eyes across me. “She’s the one replacing Allison?”
“That’s right.”
The girls all gave each other uneasy glances. Hmm. I frowned. That was odd. Who was this Allison girl and why did they all look like they wanted to vomit from the very mention of her?
“Well, welcome to the crazy house,” the girl said, repeating Caim’s words. “I’m Priyanka. You’ll be dancing in the cage by me. Come on in. Let’s get you ready.”
Asmodeus vanished from my side, and I was quickly surrounded by a gaggle of perfectly-coifed girls. They sat me down in a chair and applied a liberal amount of makeup to my usually clear face. There wasn’t time for much discussion. They explained how the night went, what time to be ready for the cages, and how we needed to treat the patrons of the place.
By the time they’d taken me through a rundown of the job, it was time to climb into the cages and dance.
My palms were sweaty, and my heart beat a hectic drum in my chest. I couldn’t help but feel like I was about to make a total fool of myself. But when I climbed into the cage and watched the floor shudder away, a strange sense of calm settled over me. And so I danced. For hours. I barely even noticed the minutes tick by, until suddenly, the night was done, and it was time for me to leave.
I’d even made three hundred bucks in tips.
I smiled as I counted out the wad and tucked it into my purse. Priyanka sidled up to me and gave me a high five, grinning. “You killed it tonight, Mia. The crowd loved you. No wonder Az has taken a shine to you.”
My stomach tumbled, and the euphoria from the night took a sudden nose dive. “Taken a shine to me…so, you know?”
“About you and Az? Ha. As if he could get himself a girlfriend and keep it a secret. It’s all anyone can talk about. He hasn’t had a girlfriend in over a hund—” She cleared her throat. “In a very long time.”
I flushed and felt a strange sense of pride surge through me, which was totally ridiculous. It wasn’t like I was his real girlfriend. To be his girlfriend, I would have to like him. As it was, I could barely tolerate his presence.
“Aww, look at that.” Priyanka grinned and tapped my cheek. “You’re blushing. Better be careful, hun, or you’re going to fall head over heels in love with that man.”
“Don’t worry. I don’t think there’s any threat of that happening.” I grabbed my jacket off the back of the chair and tugged it over my dress. On my way off the dance floor, I’d spotted Asmodeus in deep conversation with a table of his patrons. I shouldn’t interrupt, and his apartment was only three blocks away. I’d walk back while he wrapped up here. With my trusty can of pepper spray, of course. A girl can never be too careful.
“That’s what we always say, eh?” Priyanka settled into the chair and pulled some makeup wipes out of a bag. “Well, it’s been great to meet you, Mia. See you tomorrow night?”
I smiled back. “See you tomorrow.”
